Rain Falling
by Tawnyfeather
Summary: Young Rainpaw has always dreamed of a great adventure beyond the walls of RiverClan, but when a stranger comes to RiverClan carrying a dark secret, he may just get more than he bargained for. Rated K just to be safe. Rating may change in later chapters.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Brick lifted his head up off the ground and struggled to his paws. He could feel the blood flowing out of a wound on the side of his head, and the numerous scratches covering his body stung, but still, he stood his ground.

The crowd of cats who had inflicted these wounds upon him and had surrounded him parted to let a group of three cats come forward. One small, skinny pale gray she-cat and two large, hulking tabby toms. "So, do you give up?" asked the she-cat. Her voice had a painful grating sound, which was the result of a wound where her throat had been badly damaged in a fight once. Needless to say, the perpetrator soon found himself facing more than a permanently damaged throat.

Brick lifted his head up. Tired, determined green eyes met cold, hard orange ones. He spat at her and, the contempt he felt showing clearly in his voice, snarled, "Why would I surrender to filth like you? You don't even have courage enough to fight your own battles. You're nothing but a joke, Thorn. I'm ashamed to call you my sister."

"Hmmph. So that's all you have to offer? I thought so. Dear brother, not even brave words can protect you from me. This is my turf, and I'll show you just how we deal with law-breakers around here." Without warning she leaped at him, and Brick had to move fast to avoid her thorn-sharp claws from tearing through his ragged ginger pelt. However, his sister was not a cat to be deterred quite so easily. "So, running again? That isn't going to save you this time! You're more of a coward than I thought!" she jeered, swiping at him.

He ducked, and met her with a swift counterstrike to her back. Using his superior weight and size to his advantage, he made to land on top of her hopefully hard enough to break her spine, but no such luck. Quicker than the eye could follow she slithered out from underneath him and bit onto his foreleg, refusing to loosen her grip, and when she felt his blood welling up around the wound, she bit down harder, until her teeth reached the bone. Brick let out a loud, deafening screech and shook his leg, eventually managing to throw her off.

She landed hard on her side, not having had enough time to twist onto her paws. However she was quickly back on her paws, shaking her head and preparing to engage herself again in the fight. "Is that the best you can do?" she taunted, sheathing and unsheathing her claws. "That landing barely hurt, but I'll show you just how much pain _can_ be caused in a fight, Brick." With that she lunged again, but this time Brick was ready. He braced his paws against the hard concrete ground and lowered his head, banging it against hers as she landed. For a while the two pushed and shoved each other, both trying to push the other back and therefore gain the advantage.

Brick felt himself slipping, and gave a last, desperate push, toppling her. Triumphantly, he stood over her and placed his paw against her neck, claws unsheathed. "Now the whole world can be rid of you, Thorn. Your time is over."

Surprisingly, Thorn just smiled and asked in her sweetest voice, "Is it really?" Just then, her two bodyguards leaped forward and fell on top of Brick, crushing him. Thorn got up and grinned a wicked grin, her sharp teeth glinting in the dim light of the alley. "Good boys." she meowed to her two toms. "Now look whose time is over, eh Brick?" She laughed diabolically and got up and turned around, motioning with her tail for the rest of her cats to follow her. Without looking back, she called over her shoulder, "Finish him off boys. I'm tired of him getting in my way."

The last thing Brick saw before he was overcome by a wave of pain and the welcome blackness of unconsciousness was the silhouettes of the two large toms closing in on him.

When Brick awoke, he was utterly alone, and his entire body throbbed. At first he couldn't quite remember what had happened to him, then, as he gazed numbly at the wounds covering his body, it all came rushing back to him. And he knew, with unnerving certainty, that he had to leave this place. Not caring about the blood that was still gushing from his injuries and not seeming to notice the pain that hit him with every movement, he stumbled out of the alley and away. To where he did not know, he just knew that he had to get away.

**Author's Note: **So, what do you think so far? Was it enjoyable enough for you?


	2. The Arrival

**Chapter One**

Rainpaw rolled his eyes and headed out of the RiverClan camp. His mentor had sent him out to fetch moss for the elders' bedding as punishment for his recent shortness and back-talking. He sighed. He knew he shouldn't regard this chore with as much comtempt as he did; it was, after all, an honor to look after the Clan's elders, but he just couldn't help it. RiverClan was just so boring.

It was the same routine every day, and there weren't even any border disputes to make his apprenticeship a little more interesting. He remembered with a smirk the days when he was a kit and dreamed only of becoming a warrior and serving his Clan, now he couldn't think of anything more boring. Sometimes he dreamed of running away and having his own adventures away from the Clan, but he knew the chance for something as life-changing as that happening to him was smaller than nothing. His life was boring, and he hated it.

With a heavy sigh he bent down to pick up the moss that he had scraped off of the base of a tree and was just heading back to camp when he felt some hare-brained apprentice barrel into him and knock him sprawling to the ground, scattering his moss all over the ground. Picking himself up, he turned to his unintentional attacker and snarled, "What in the name of StarClan were you thinking? Barreling into me like that! Don't you have eyes!?" He could see that the other apprentice was also sprawled out on the floor, but he was already in a bad mood and the prospect of having to gather together all the moss again didn't exactly but him in a better mood.

The other apprentice, a young she-cat named Lakepaw sat up and began hastily apologizing. "I'm sorry, Rainpaw. I didn't see you. I was just in a hurry to get back to camp. There's a strange cat collapsed on our territory, and I felt I ought to alert Brookstar so that she can do something about it."

Immediately forgetting about his moss Rainpaw turned to Lakepaw and said, "No, wait. I've got a better idea. Show me where this strange cat is. I want to see him for myself."

"Okay," meowed Lakepaw nervously, glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes.

Rainpaw was so obsessed over this news that he didn't even notice the glance Lakepaw shot him. _This could be my big chance!_ he thought to himself excitedly. _This may be just the thing to turn my life around!_ He was planning and scheming all the ways that this stranger could help him leave his boring warrior life behind and have a real life full of adventures when Lakepaw brought them to a stop right beside a hollow between two roots of a tree. Directly in front of this hollow lay the stranger.

He had a fiery ginger-red pelt that was covered with scars and old battle-wounds. His fur was bedraggled and tangled up, as if he hadn't groomed himself properly in ages. One of his ears was torn, and he looked scrawnier than a WindClan cat, with muscles that had wasted away to practically nothing. To say the least, he looked a real fright. Nonetheless, Rainpaw was fascinated with him, and stepped forward for a closer look. "Rainpaw, don't!" hissed Lakepaw in warning, but Rainpaw just motioned his tail for her to be quiet and continued forward until he was standing directly above the cat.

Suddenly, the cat's green eyes snapped open and he leapt up and lunged at Rainpaw. However because he was half-starved there was no power in his attack and Rainpaw easily side-stepped him, leaving him to land face-forward in the dirt. He immediately got back onto his paws and whirled around, pouncing on Rainpaw. However, when he landed, he discovered that there was no Rainpaw to land on, and was even more shocked when he felt the weight of the apprentice upon his back, holding him down.

"So," asked Rainpaw calmly, "Are you going to come quietly or are we going to have to chase you off of our land?" The other cat didn't answer, and instead snarled and struggled to get free. He stopped suddenly when he felt cold, sharp claws threatening to dig into his back and Rainpaw whispered in his ear, "I said, are you going to come quietly or are we going to have to force you off our land?"

The other cat was silent for a while, and then, in a croaking voice that sounded as if he hadn't used it in ages, "I guess I'll come quietly then."

"Good," meowed Rainpaw. Turning to Lakepaw, he meowed, "Come here, and stand on the other side of him. We're going to escort him to our camp."

Lakepaw did what she was told, but she still had her doubts. "Rainpaw," she asked over the older cat, "do you really think it's a wise idea to take him straight to our camp? We don't know how many more of them there might be, just waiting to attack us. We could be walking right into a trap."

"Oh come _on_ Lakepaw! Where's your sense of adventure? This could be a once in a lifetime opportunity here."

"To what, get ourselves killed?" Lakesong mewed sourly.

"Besides," continued Rainpaw matter-of-factly, "he's far too skinny for there to be any more of them. If there were a whole Clan of cats, he'd be better fed then this. Now be quiet. He's our prisoner, and we don't exactly want any information to leak out, do we?"

The rest of their journey passed in silence until finally they reached the entrance to the RiverClan camp. The old cat looked in disgust at all of the water surrounding the camp and made a noise of disgust at the back of his throat. "Ugh. What are you cats, fish? I've never seen a cat stick around_ this_ much water."

"Yeah, well, you'll be crossing that stream with us, so be prepared to become a cat-fish," meowed Rainpaw bad-temperately.

Lakepaw glanced at him curiously, wondering what had gotten him in such a bad mood all of a sudden, but soon looked away to focus on the task of helping the cat across the stream. Due to lack of a decent meal his senses had dulled along with his sense of coordination, and he constantly had to be helped out of the stream that he kept falling into. All the while they were crossing, he kept muttering to himself, "Never been near so much water in all my life. Don't know how these cats can stand it. Like living in a star-forsaken fishbowl!"

Finally they came to the island that made up the RiverClan camp, and though a sheath of reeds shielded their view, the comforting scent of fish and the gently murmuring voices told Rainpaw that he was home, and without hesitation he stepped through the reeds and into the camp, the stranger and Lakepaw following him. Immediately all of the cats stopped talking and turned their heads as one toward the two apprentices and the newcomer. A deadly silence filled the clearing.

Feeling suddenly awkward at being the focus of the full attention of each and every one of his Clanmates, Rainpaw headed to where Brookstar had emerged from her den and was staring at them curiously, her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the stranger. However, she looked away from him and instead turned her gaze upon Rainpaw, who, though suddenly scared stiff, stood taller and to attention as his blue eyes met her amber ones.

Calmly she asked him, "Rainpaw, why are you back here without the moss your mentor sent you to fetch and who, in the name of StarClan, is this cat you've brought back with you?"

**Author's Note** : I hope this chapter is long enough for you. I worked until 1:34 in the morning to complete, and it's not even the weekend. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must get to bed. School in the morning.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note** : Here's chapter two which, I must say, has been somewhat eagerly anticipated. As always, enjoy!

**Chapter Two**

Rainpaw stood in front of his Clan leader, the focus of the attention of all of his Clanmates. Right now he really wished that he had not decided to take this stranger back to camp, but knew that even if he could relive that moment, he would not have done a single thing different. He cleared his throat in preparation to answer his leader's question, and then meowed, "I was just about to take the moss back to the camp when Lakepaw came and knocked me over, scattering the moss." Lakepaw burned hot underneath her dark blue-gray fur and her blurry black spots appeared more blurred than usual as the gaze of every cat present swung to face her, but then Rainpaw continued and they all shifted their attention back to him. "She explained that she wasn't paying attention to where she was going because she was rushing back to camp to tell you that she had found this intruder," he jerked his head back to indicate his prisoner, "on our territory. I told her to show me where she had found him, and she did. When I first saw him he looked as if he had died, so went to go check, and he attacked me. I beat him however and forced him back here for you to pass judgment on." When he finished he nodded his head curtly at her, and was silent as he awaited her decision.

Brookstar contemplated his words, glancing from the earnest, slightly embarrassed face of Lakepaw, to the tired, worn face of the stranger, and finally to the sure, steady, even gaze of Rainpaw. She then looked up and gazed upon the silent faces of her Clanmates, who were looking upon her for a decision. Finally, she turned to face the stranger and meowed, "You, what's your name?"

The ginger tom glanced up when he realized it was him being addressed and answered, "Brick."

"Hmm." The brown tabby she-cat thought for a little while longer, and then said, "Brick, you can stay, but you're going to be a prisoner of RiverClan. As for you two," she shifted her gaze to Lakepaw and Rainpaw, "you will have the honors of taking care of our prisoner, as well as keeping up with your apprentice duties. Now get to it!" With that she turned and went back inside her den, leaving her cats to murmur among themselves at the new developments and to sneak glances at the three cats still left standing at the entrance to Brookstar's den. Lakepaw looked around then turned to Rainpaw, asking, "So, what now?"

"What do you think?" snapped her fellow apprentice. "You heard Brookstar. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some moss that needs gathering." With that he turned and exited the camp, leaving Lakepaw and Brick staring after him.

"A regular twister, that one," commented Brick after a few moments of silence.

"Oh be quiet!" snapped Lakepaw, turning on him, completely fustrated. "Why did you have to come to our territory? Everything was fine before you showed up!"

"Well_ sorry_," replied Brick sarcastically, "for getting beat up and starving and ruining your perfect little life."

Lakepaw sighed, "No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you like that. I'm just fustrated. Come on, prisoner. I'll go show you to your cell." She led him through the throng of gossiping cats, who separated before them and stopped talking as they passed by, and across the clearing, to an old wooden log near the warriors den. "Stay there," she commanded, and headed toward the fresh-kill pile. Selecting a mouse, she picked it up and headed back to where Brick waited in his den. "Eat," she commanded, dropping it unceremoniously at his paws.

Brick started in on the mouse, and within a few bites it was gone. Licking his lips, he turned to Lakepaw and meowed, "Thanks." Then, as if nothing of any great importance had happened, he fell asleep. Lakesong sighed and settled down, gazing up at the cloudless blue sky, to wait for Rainpaw to come back and relieve her.

**Author's Note**: Sorry it's so short, but that just leaves you wanting more. Anyway, please tell me what you think.


End file.
